Evaluation of Framework Conditions and Soil Potentials for Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture

Abstract

Sustainable intensification (SI) is a concept for increasing agricultural production under sustainable conditions to meet the needs of the worldwide growing population. We reviewed the status and trends of SI on the basis of latest scientific publications. Some progress was found in evolving the concept of SI for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. However, gaps in knowledge and quantitative data are largely missing. To achieve progress in understanding and evolving SI, knowledge about soils is of paramount importance. Soil data are suitable indicators for sustainable land-use practices. We used data of soil resilience and productivity for assessing land potentials for SI. Six intrinsic land and soil characteristics (organic C content, clay + silt, pH, CEC, soil depth and slope) were selected as indictors for defining the resilience and performance of land in Europe. These six indicators comprise the main biochemical and physical soil properties. To analyze the potential of SI in EU-25, the above described approach was based on LUCAS 2009 topsoil data, using the dataset of the arable land in the Corine Land Use Cover 2006 as well as to the European Soil Database (ESDB). The results show that due to a low natural resilience and productivity of soils, almost half (44%) of the investigated arable land cannot be recommended for SI. More than 3% of this area should be de-intensified in order to reduce environmental harm. 16% of the arable land can be recommended for SI with restrictions, whereas 40% of arable land has the potential for SI without impacting the delivery of goods and services provided by soils. As Europe is a region of suitable bio-climatic and societal conditions for sustainable land management, serious limitations for SI must be expected in other parts of the globe. Interdisciplinary studies should clarify this problem.